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Legislative Update

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I hope you had a joyful and restful Easter weekend. With the legislature on break last week, I was grateful for the opportunity to spend some much-needed time at home with my family and reconnect with folks across the district. Now that we’re back at the Capitol, it's full speed ahead as we dive back into budget work and the final stretch of session.

MinnesotaCare

One of the biggest challenges we are facing in Health and Human Services negotiations, two committees that I serve on, is the unsustainable cost of expanding MinnesotaCare to illegal immigrants. This program was established last year by the Democrat Trifecta, with the expectation that it would cover 7,700 people and cost $196 million over four years. However, after repeated efforts by House Republicans to get the real numbers, we have now learned that enrollment has more than doubled to over 17,000 individuals, and the cost has skyrocketed to more than $550 million.

Because illegal immigrants do not qualify for federal matching funds, every dollar of this expansion must come directly from Minnesota taxpayers. This is happening at the same time that our state is staring down a $6 billion budget deficit and making deep cuts to services like nursing homes, ambulance coverage, and disability support. In many rural areas, including Greater Minnesota, these cuts have already forced families to send loved ones far from home to get the care they need.

It is incredibly frustrating to see the state prioritize free healthcare for those who are here illegally while Minnesotans who have paid into the system for years are being told there is not enough funding to support their needs. These decisions hurt our communities, especially those in rural areas where access to care is already limited. House Republicans are standing strong in these negotiations to protect the services Minnesotans rely on and to fight for a balanced budget that reflects our values. We need to ensure that taxpayer dollars go toward caring for our seniors, supporting families, and investing in the future of our communities.

Other Negotiations

Negotiations in general are moving along, and the majority of our committees have agreed to and pass their omnibus bills out of the committee of origin. We started to hear omnibus bills on the House floor this week, including the Agriculture & Public Safety/Judicial Bills.

I am proud to share with you that my HF897 [ [link removed] ] has been included in the Public Safety/Judicial Bill. This legislation aims to bring the criminal penalties for exposing children and vulnerable adults to fentanyl in line with those for methamphetamine. This is a crucial change that should have been made much earlier, given the widespread impact of the fentanyl crisis across our state. Ensuring the protection of those who cannot defend themselves should always be a top priority.

I look forward to updating you as these bills pass off the House floor, enter conference committee, and then pass or fail on the floor with the final vote. We have much work to do before May 19th.

Property Tax Concerns

Rising property taxes are another concern for families across Minnesota. Local governments are warning residents about the potential for significant increases, not because they want to raise taxes, but because the state continues to pass down unfunded mandates and underfund key programs. When state funding falls short [ [link removed] ], counties and cities are left to fill in the gaps, often with no other option than to turn to local property tax hikes. This shift in responsibility places a heavy burden on homeowners, small business owners, and farmers.

Minnesotans are already dealing with the rising cost of everyday living. From groceries and fuel to housing and utilities, household budgets are being stretched thin. Adding another layer of financial strain through higher property taxes only makes things more difficult for working families and seniors on fixed incomes. These are not just numbers on a bill—these increases affect real people and real communities.

This situation reflects a failure of leadership at the state level. Over the last two years, we have seen historic levels of spending and tax increases by the state. Many of this spending was used to create new programs. Because of this, our state is now projected to have a $6 billion deficit next biennium. Unfortunately, instead of repealing or dialing back these newly created programs, Democrats are passing the financial shortfall onto local municipalities and our schools. It is not fair to expect local communities to pay the price for state decisions. We need a responsible, balanced budget that supports local governments, fully funds critical services, and puts taxpayers first. I will continue working to make sure the voices of our communities are heard and that we bring some much-needed accountability back to the Capitol.

Check out this video that Rep. Jim Joy and I filmed explaining both the MinnesotaCare crisis and the impacts of county tax increases.

Video [ [link removed] ]





Shoutouts

Shoutout to Park Rapids for hosting the area's largest Job and Career Fair [ [link removed] ] this week. There were many local businesses that participated, giving students the opportunity to explore and learn about different industries and career paths. Thank you for setting our students up for success!

Shoutout also to our Park Rapids FFA team [ [link removed] ] for taking the time to do a ditch cleanup recently. These ambitious students cleaned up 21 BAGS of garbage along the Park Rapids FFA's adopt-a-highway section. Thank you for your work to support our community and keep it clean!

Knudsen




Please Reach Out

You can reach my office at [email protected] <[email protected]> or by phone at 651-296-9918. Follow me on Facebook [ [link removed] ] for more frequent updates.











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2424 Centennial Office Building          658 Cedar St.
Saint Paul, MN 55155 [email protected] 651.296.9918







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